In 2010 Dallas Cowboys’ offensive tackle Doug Free signed a huge contract extension because the Cowboys fully expected Free to become an anchoring force for a struggling offensive line. However in the subsequent seasons, Free’s production diminished leading to his contract being re-constructed just recently.
Now this is all old news. We know now that Free is now making about half of what he would have before the reconstruction of his contract. However, while Dallas fans were focused on whether or not Free would be a Cowboy or not, or how his contract would be re-worked or even whether or not Free will start this next season, Free himself has been going about business as normal.
Even when many speculated that Free would leave Dallas, he continued attending team meetings, team dinners and team workouts. Free wants to be in Dallas and he wants to help his team succeed.
When asked about competing with Jermey Parnell at the right tackle position, Free simply stated that he would compete to become a better player, and even help out the younger Parnell when he could.
Of course Free didn’t respond to the big contract in 2010 by playing well, but he knows that and now he is ready to redeem himself and take his game back to the level that the Cowboys’ staff knows he is capable of playing.
Free doesn’t like to talk to media, or listen to what they are saying about him. He says that he prefers to keep his head down and focus on becoming a better player and helping his team improve. Perhaps he has heard just enough of the criticism to motivate him to earn a starting spot at right tackle and become a leader along a struggling offensive line.
